What If?
by Sweet Charity
Summary: What would happen if Helen and Philippe had actually gotten married? If Grandmere raised Mia in New York? If Lilly and Mia not only weren't best friends, but they hated each other? How would things be like?
1. In Which The Princess.. Er, Knows She's ...

Disclaimer: I don't own Meg Cabot's ideas. I'm simply basing my own on her ideas for a fic.

Summary: What would happen if Helen and Philippe got married? What if Mia still lived in New York, but with Grandmere? What if Lilly and Mia weren't best friends? What if they weren't friends at all?

  Lilly's POV

  **Tuesday**

  "Can you believe that Princess Amelia? Why does she even come here anymore? She knows nobody likes her." I spat as I watched Princess Amelia, 'Albert Einstein's Very Own Royal', past us, up the steps, and into school. Accompanied by her bodyguard, of course.

  "I heard that Tina Hakim Baba is her friend." Shameeka commented.

  "Over-protected jerkettes of a feather fly together!" I sneered, and we both broke into giggles. "I mean, honestly. Is she so naive to think that her father and her 'Grandmere' and her 'Maman' are saints and that they rule Genovia fairly?"

  "Considering they do, she's not that naive." My stupid brother has to interject, following us up the steps.

  "Michael, don't you have friends to hang out with?" Shameeka shoots. "Like Judy or Kenneth or something?" She scores.

  "That's Judith and Kenny, and no. Considering that I have a lunch date with the Princess herself, I simply cannot mix with the little people anymore. With the exception of you guys." Michael snips. "When you're done overanalyzing someone you don't even know, inform me. Then we can move on to more interesting and hopefully less green-eyed subjects in G & T."

  And then he walks off.

  "Is he actually accusing me of being jealous of Princess Amelia Renaldo?" I managed to say, horrified.

  "Like that would ever happen." Shameeka says with a snort.

  Funny thing is, I kind of was.

  Mia's POV

  "You know, if I had more friends, the rest of the world would know I like to be called Mia." I said to Tina, swinging around one of the pink fluffy pens that we always had around. Pink they may have been, but they were soft.

  Don't take me for a total airhead. It's just when your only friend is someone who is almost as protected as you are, you have a lot of free time. Most of the time we have to shop incognito, otherwise it'll be plastered everywhere that Princess Amelia of Genovia and her close friend, the heiress of the Hakim Baba oil fortune, Tina Hakim Baba, absolutely _adore_ shopping at 'Clotheshorse Anonymous'.

  "Lilly Moscovitz is at it again." Tina whispered, not paying any attention. "If she hates us so much, why doesn't she just form a club?"

  "What do you mean?" Lilly Moscovitz had always disliked me, ever since she did one huge report on the unfairness of monarchy, in like, the third grade. And since I hang with Tina, she has another prejudice. Apparently, she's got this really weird idea in her head that Tina's dad sends out the bad oil to the Indian Ocean and dumps it. Mr. Hakim Baba would never do that!

  "Didn't you see the latest episode of Lilly Tells It Like It Is?" Tina asked.

  "No, I was in Los Angeles, christening another stupid boat named after me. It's like Princess Amelia the XVIII." I sort of waved my hands a bit. "Why?"

  "I quote, 'Once everyone finds out that I go to Albert Einstein, they automatically ask me, _What's it like to know a princess?_ I honestly can't answer them. If you read her profile in a magazine, you know as much as I do, except for one fact. If Princess Amelia alienates her people as much as she does her schoolmates, the so-called success of Genovia would cease to exist.' It was harsh." Tina muttered. "She doesn't even try to get to know us, so how would she know? It's not even you alienating the whole school. You just keep close company and you don't mix with the jocks or the freaks or the geeks."

  "Or the cheerleaders." I added. We both giggled.

  Oh, lovely! Boris is playing again! I love it when he plays! He's so talented.

  I recognized the tune from what they were playing on the deck of my father's boat, the original Princess Amelia. Besides me, that is.

  How do I explain? My mother and my father (reigning prince of Genovia, a small country between France and Spain, population 50,000) met in college. Before meeting my father, my mother was a liberal artist. But after he proposed to her and got her pregnant, she started taking princess lessons from my Grandmere, that is, my grandmother. My parents, Princess Helen and Prince Edward, decided that it would be best for me to grow up in New York City, in America, to learn a few street smarts and gain my own opinions, rather than those of the prime minister or whatever. And my Grandmere agreed to live with me there in order to teach me, guide me, regulate me, etc. If she had it completely her way, I would be in Genovia, living in the palace and being tutored with the daughters of counts and dukes. If she had it almost her way, I'd be attending an all-girls school. But my father said that Albert Einstein had good credentials and plus, an all-girls school wouldn't let me learn a few street smarts and gain my own opinions, which was the point of sending me to New York anyway.

  Tina, her mother, and her siblings spend their summers with me in Genovia, and occasionally Mr. Hakim Baba flies in.

  What do I do at school? Well, being a princess means that I have little spare time. And when I do have it, I spend it with my best and only friend in the entire world, Tina.

  Though I must admit, Lana Weinberger and Josh Richter have both made horrible attempts to be my friend.

  Tina often comes with me when I go places. Grandmere says I need to form a larger entourage. I told her that Madonna usually doesn't have as many people as I do. (That would mean Wahim, Mrs. Hakim Baba, Tina, Grandmere, Lars, and the little Hakim Babas. Come on! Mrs. Hakim Baba is near royalty AND she's an ex-model.)

  What Grandmere means to say is, "You need to make more friends, you freak!"

  It's not like people don't try to be my friends. With the exception of Lilly Moscovitz and her friend Shameeka. They're nice and all (the other people. Lilly and Shameeka are just rude), but they're not—Friendish.

  However, I think that the Moscovitzes may have something wrong with their entire gene pool, because Lilly's brother is not only a dreamboat (Lilly's face is totally squished in, like a pug's), he's nice and he's fun to chat with.

  Maybe adding the Computer Club with one of its hunky leaders to my entourage will count for extra credit in princess lessons.

  I suppose it won't.

  "You know what? Lilly Moscovitz can have her own opinion. I need to respect that. Plus, what's her show going to do to me, anyway? It reaches like, ten people. We need to concentrate on what a great time we're going to have with Michael Moscovitz at lunch today." I said, sitting up straight with pride.

  "Psst, Mia. She's glaring at us again." Tina whispered. And we burst out into giggles again.

  Another thing. The reason why I have this diary is because Tina says I need to write down things somewhere so that my Grandmere doesn't know everything. (The last time Lana Weinberger tried to snap my bra strap before she realized who it was, Grandmere nearly sued her for sexual harassment. Is that not embarrassing?). I kind of like it, too. She got this textbook-looking thing that has the words 'Algebra 101' across the front. That way, Grandmere wouldn't get too suspicious.

  I'm really good at Algebra, did I mention that?

  Uh-oh. Time for lunch with dreamy Michael Moscovitz.

  Michael's POV

  She and her friend Tina were giggling through G & T. Not in that annoying, Lana Weinberger way, or that shrill, Lilly way, but in a fun sort of way that made you want to know what they were giggling about.

  Talking to them for ten minutes yesterday, I realized that they were genuinely some of the coolest freshmen ever.

  Not to mention that Princess Amelia is hot.

  She is! Though she may not have a huge chest, news flash! She's fourteen!

  Plus, the personality really makes up for it.

  "Princess Amelia." I said in an overly grand, stuffy voice, making a very horrible bow.

  She sort of giggled in her G & T way. "Call me Mia."

  "Okay, Mia." I shrugged. "Kenny, Judith, this is Mia and Tina."

  The Pop-Tart that Judith had been so nutritiously munching on fell out of her mouth.

  Kenny actually tore his eyes away from Anime Magazine.

  Told you she was hot.

  Well, Judith's Pop Tart didn't fall from her mouth on account of the fact that Mia was hot. Judith was just amazed that Albert Einstein's Very Own Royal was actually socializing. Yes, she too had been watching the horrible episode of my sister's dorky cable show.

  "Hi!" Mia chirped, waggling a couple of fingers at them.

  "Hey." Tina flashed them a smile. They both sat down. They both had salads.

  "What's with the health food?" Judith managed to say.

  "We've got milkshakes." Tina whipped out milkshakes that were obviously from off-campus. One of their bodyguards (both of whom followed close behind) must have gotten them and had the other one watch over the two girls.

  "What's with the health food?" Judith repeated.

  "We're vegetarians." Mia answered this time. "Not totally strict, 'cause we still drink milkshakes and have eggs and stuff like that."

  "No, no. Grandmere wouldn't stand for that!" Tina managed to say without giggling. But Mia couldn't help it.

  "Grandmere is my crazy grandmother. She practically raised Tina, too." Mia explained.

  "So, what are you ladies doing this spring break?" Kenny tried to act casual, but he's had this crush on Princess Amelia since the sixth grade, apparently. And since we had Friday and the next week off, we'd have ten days of no-school bliss.

  "Oh, I'm going to this stupid Hollywood première of this friend of mine in London. So is Tina. Want to come with?" Mia asked casually. "There's an after-party and everything, and then we're going to San Francisco to have some fun. Grandmere would love to entertain a couple of new guests."

  Once again, Judith's Pop Tart fell out of her mouth.

  "If you have to ask your parents, you can go ahead. The première is naturally a black-tie affair, but for the after-party, you just need something you can dance in, and then we're just going to be having a bit of fun in San Fran." Tina seemed almost as filled in with Mia's life as Mia was.

  "So I see you weren't using that comment to shut me up. You must be the famous Princess Amelia." Somebody sneered. All seven of us looked up.

  Lilly's POV

 It was odd to see a blonde beauty and a cheery brunette actually sitting with my brother. And when Shameeka realized who the blonde was, I was surprised she wasn't wearing some huge tiara.

  Princess Amelia actually had the nerve to sit with my brother and his stupid Computer Club pals.

  And of course, I had to march over there and find out what was going on.

  "Well, I guess my diagnosis was wrong. You DO socialize beyond the crowd of overprotected freaks." I spat. "And what exactly is she doing here?"

  Judith, a Computer Club member who never quite enjoyed my 'brattiness', stood up. "She was just inviting us to an exclusive white-collar gala filled with wall-to-wall stars. And then we're going to party with them into the dawn, and then fly to San Francisco to have some good, old-fashioned fun."

  My jaw dropped.

  "By the time you stop cleaning the cafeteria floor with your chin, dear baby sister, we'll be in San Fran, enjoying the sights and the shopping." Michael chirped. "We'll get back to you tomorrow, Mia."

  He called her Mia. Did my boring, disgusting, oddball older brother actually call Princess Amelia Renaldo of Genovia (gross!) Mia? 

  This cannot be happening. Princess Amelia cannot be socializing, period. Yet alone with the Computer Club!!!! And now they're going to some huge star-studded event for Spring Break and I am stuck here in New York to deal with meetings about how to save my cable show?

  This is so unfair.


	2. In Which The Princess Gets A Phone Call....

Disclaimer: See Chap. One

A/N: Remember how Mia mentioned she liked Britney Spears? Well—Anyway, here goes. Thanks for all the great reviews!

  Mia's POV

  **Later Tuesday**

  "Hello?" I could barely hear my dad's voice on the other end of the phone. "Mia, is that you?"

  "No, it's Grandmere after her voice surgery." I drawled in return.

  "You can do that?" I could practically see his brow wrinkling in confusion.

  "Where _are_ you?" I demanded softly. I had snuck away from Grandmere's dinner party to 'get some air'. But I answered the phone before Rosario could.

  "Genovia, where else?" 

  Why I ask rhetorical questions, I do not know.

  "How's Maman?" I began speaking in French, because Rosario had just past me.

  "Perfectly fine." He replied in the same language. "She's scowling, though."

  Maman hates it when we both speak in French. One of the things she never did learn was French.

  "Pappa, I don't think that Tina and her family will be the only ones joining us for Spring Break." I whispered excitedly in English.

  "Do you mean you've made new friends, Mia?" My father was equally excited.

  "I have, and they might be able to come with me to Britney's movie première and then the after-party, and then we're going to San Francisco!" I couldn't help but exclaim.

  "Helen! Mia's made a few new friends!" My father's muffled voice sounded. 

  "That's excellent, dear!" My mother is not the flake some might perceive her to be. She still has her liberal opinions, but she felt the best way to live the rest of her life was with the man she loved.

  I am the heiress to the throne, as my father has—Well, my father has—Well, it's actually about what he _doesn't_ have. He only has one, well, testicle, because he had testicular cancer.

  But he and Maman say that because I'm their only daughter, and their favorite daughter, I probably would have inherited the throne anyway.

  It's weird. I love my parents, I do. I don't live with them, but that's alright, you know? My Grandmere, I live with her and I absolutely ridicule her.

  Anyway, I can hear Grandmere calling.

  "I have to go, Pappa. Grandmere might not have her hair on by the time I get back." I whispered. "All my love to you and Maman."  

  And dreamy Michael Moscovitz.

  I have to stop saying the word dreamy. It's affecting my intelligence.

  Michael's POV

  "Mom, Dad?" I finished scraping that spot on my plate with my fork. "A friend of mine invited me to stay over Spring Break."

  "Who, Judith? Kenny?" My mom took another sip of orange juice.

  "Princess Amelia." Lilly spat. "She actually invited him, Judy and Kenneth to go to a movie première in London, then to the after-party, and then they're going to spend the rest of Spring Break frolicking in San Francisco."

  "Princess Amelia? Is that some sort of nickname?" Apparently my father can't believe that I would be a friend of a real princess.

  "No, um, Princess Amelia Renaldo of Genovia." I managed to say.

  "Are you sure that's her name?" My mother looked at me wearily.

  "Yes, mother, he's been invited to spend over a week with Her Royal Highness and he's asking if he can go." Lilly seemed more miffed than ever.

  "Certainly." My father replied.

  "Movie première? Doesn't that mean expensive clothing?" My mother asked, with that worried look still plastered on her face.

  "Her Royal Highness said the only things that were required of him were a tuxedo and some party clothes." Lilly spat.

  "You've got a tuxedo, and party clothes aren't that expensive. Come on, honey. Our Michael is a friend of a royal!" My father was especially excited.

  "Alright, honey. Airfare paid and everything?" My mother's weariness turned to excitement.

  "I'll call her right now!" I got up from the table, kissing my mother on the cheek, sticking my tongue out at my sister, and patting my dad on the back.

  This was going to be a great spring break.

  Lilly's POV

  This is going to be a horrible spring break.

  Tina's POV

  Wednesday 

  Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!!! Mia just called me. Judith, Kenny and most importantly Michael Moscovitz have all accepted the invitation to go to London and San Fran!!!

  Mia told me this morning!

  Stupid Lana Weinberger passed us in the hall with her junior varsity cheerleader friends, speaking in a really loud, snooty voice. "This spring break my daddy's flying me to London to go to the première of Britney Spears's new movie. I actually get to stand behind the barriers of the red carpet and see all those stars."

  And then she stopped and turned to us in her most polite voice, "What are you two doing for spring break?"

  "We're going to the première of Britney Spears's new movie. Except, unlike you, we're walking down the red carpet." I replied coolly.

  Lana's jaw dropped. 

  "See you there. That is, if the cameras aren't too blinding for us to see you." Mia followed in suit. 

  And then we walked to class, with Lars and Wahim behind us. I feel so good! Plus, tonight, Mrs. Renaldo, that is, Mia's Grandmere, is taking us shopping at Chanel for these drop-dead gorgeous gowns that Britney will be sure to love!

  Britney is such a nice person. I've met her on several occasions.

  Mia's POV

  During lunch, my cell phone rang. Normally, I have it turned off, but Lars must have answered it.

  "Hello?" I asked, trying to duck under the table, but Tina made me sit up.

  "Hi! I heard you were coming to my première this weekend!" Britney's voice sounded so cheery.

  "Yeah! And I'm bringing a couple of friends along." I replied. Tina gasped.

  "You mean Tina? She and her mom are so cool." I love the little Louisiana twang in Britney's accent.

  "Yeah, them. But a couple of new ones." I replied.

  "You made more friends, Mia? That's so cool! I thought most of your school--." Britney began, but she cut herself off. "That's great! Can I speak to Tina?"

  "Yeah, sure!" I handed the phone over to Tina, who undoubtedly knew who it was.

  "Who's that?" Judith asked as she tried to hand me a Pop Tart. I refused politely.

  "Oh, just a friend of mine. Her name's Britney."

  Once again, Michael was shocked to see that Kenny had torn his eyes away from Anime Magazine.

  "So, my Grandmere will send each of you guys a limo. You'll need to have you parents fill out these consent forms, and bring your passports! Attached to the consent forms are things you cannot bring to London, and things you can't bring back." I smiled at them. "See you asap. Come on, Tina."

  "Gosh, Britney, I have to go." Tina gushed.

  Michael's POV

  Damn, the girl is amazing.


	3. In Which The Princess Romances One. No, ...

  Mia's POV

  Wednesday 

  Oh. My. God. 

  Tina got this gorgeous pink sparkly dress that's got soft ruffles on the asymmetrical neckline and asymmetrical hemline. As for me, Grandmere got me this knock-out red column dress that's all sparkly and has two straps shaped like a V on the front, and they cross on the back, which is almost completely bare EXCEPT for the straps.

  I love Grandmere!

  Anyway, after the Chanel fitting, Tina and I went to CA (That's Clotheshorse Anonymous) and picked out some great new suits and plenty of good clothing. And guess what? Grandmere picked up the bill!

  I guess she's happy that I've expanded my 'entourage'.

  And that's when we spotted a picture of me and Tina and Judith, Kenny and Michael sitting in the cafeteria talking. It was some cheesy tabloid. The huge picture was next to the photo, 'Britney Spears Pregnant With Alien Baby'.

  "America's Royal Romancing Two?" Tina said between giggles. "Yeah, right."

  I was silently horrified. What if Michael thought _I_ was the one who said that?

  Grandmere read my mind. "Nobody really believes these silly tabloids anyway. If it were People, or the Post, it would be different."

  I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Tina was still laughing.

Michael's POV

  My sister needs to learn how to knock. You raise your hand to the door in a form of a fist and you tap lightly on the wood.

  "Look at this." Lilly spat as she threw down a tabloid.

  What was my sister doing reading tabloids anyway?

  I looked at the cover. "Britney Spears Pregnant With Alien Baby. Justin Angry."

  "Not that, you idiot!" Lilly shrieked. "The main photo!"

  It was in the Albert Einstein cafeteria. The photo featured me, Judith, Kenny, Wahim, Lars, Tina and Mia.

  "Yeah, so?" Knock, Lilly, knock.

  "It practically screams that you and Princess Amelia are having an _affair_!" Lilly screamed. "You don't have feelings for her, do you?"

  At this, I decided I needed better lying skills.

  "Um, no." 

  "OH MY GOD! MICHAEL'S DATING A PRINCESS!" Lilly screamed. "I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"

  "I'm not dating her! I just have feelings for her, that's all." I really wanted to teach her how to knock.

  "THAT'S EVEN WORSE! YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON A PRINCESS!" Lilly stomped her Doc Marten-covered feet. "I NEED SOME AIR!"

  Knock, Lilly, knock.

  Tina's POV

  Thursday 

  I caught a ride with Mia today. We pulled up to Albert Einstein and several people waved at us as we walked up the steps. We got to the double-doors that was right where the two spiraling staircases met, when somebody shouted out.

  "Princess! Ms. Hakim Baba! Pose for the Post?" 

  We're used to this by now. We smiled and somebody snapped the shot before we walked in.

  And then we had to talk to Lana Weinberger.

  "Hi, _Amelia_." Lana said in a sugary-sweet tone.

  "Hi, _Lana_." Mia said with a scowl. We started walking to class.

  "I'll see you in London, then?" Lana called out after us.

  Mia rolled her eyes. She turned to me and said, "Don't you hate it when she does that?"

  And then we ran smack into Josh Richter.

  Mia's POV

 Oh. My. God. Oh. My. God. Total hottie alert!!!!

  "Hi, Amelia, Tina." He said with a sweet smile. I scowled because he still didn't know that I liked to be called Mia. As in M I A.

  I rolled my eyes and we brushed past him. As soon as we had turned the corner, Tina and I started shrieking.

  "I can't believe you played it so cool!" Tina said, her eyes full of admiration.

  "He's probably still scratching his head!" I exclaimed. We jumped up and down and shrieked.

  "Now the headline will say you're romancing three! Look who's becoming the most wanted girl in Albert Einstein!" Tina chirped in her bubbly manner.

  I started laughing and we headed to Algebra.

Michael's POV

  G & T is fairly easier now that we sit with Mia and Tina.

  Kenny's usually flipping through Anime Magazine, Judith is helping me with my web zine, and Tina, Wahim and Lars help Mia with her busy social schedule.

  But none of the girls were really focusing today. Judith, Mia and Tina were talking about their dresses.

  "Mia's Grandmere took us to Chanel yesterday. Mia's going to look gorgeous." Tina babbled.

  "You always look gorgeous." Kenny whispered off-handedly.

  Damn you, Kenny! Now she's smiling at you!

  "You are very kind." Mia whispered, and then she and Tina broke out into giggles.

  Oh, good. They were laughing at him.

  "I guess I'll see you guys at lunch." Mia said, looking at her Fossil watch. Sure enough, the bell rang. "Come on Tina, we're going to be late for Biology."

  "I think I have that class with you." Kenny said eagerly, jumping up.

  "Well, then. Okay." Mia said, her eyes slightly going out of focus.

  "Shall I walk you ladies over to another wonderful hour of dissecting synthetic frogs?" Kenny asked with a goofy grin. They giggled.

  "We have our own escorts." Tina said with a smile full of pity, nodding towards their two bodyguards. "See you at lunch."

  And they got up and left.

  "Kenny, if you'll put your eyeballs back in your head instead of on Mia's butt, you'll notice that you have two minutes to get across school." Judith sneered at him. "Freshmen boys. Honestly."


End file.
